history of film assignment

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Lesson Plan: Hollywood and History

Influence of Film on Culture

Jason Herbert, creator of “Historians At The Movies,” talked with Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation executive director Christy Coleman about how films shape views of past and current events. This program was hosted by Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

Description

This lesson plan opens with reflective questions that ask students to consider the accuracy of their favorite film. Students then watch, analyze, and respond an introductory video clip that details the influence of film on historical and contemporary American culture. Next, students engage in an engagement activity, where they learn about how movies serve both as public history and reflect specific moments in time. After reflecting on the role of films in society, students then engage in a choice exploration activity where they choose two of four topics to study further, including specific films such as The Godfather (1972) and Gone with the Wind (1939). Next, if time and resources permit, students will watch their favorite film and analyze how the film depicts elements of historical or contemporary culture. The lesson concludes with a reflective prompt.

This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handouts and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

You can also save and share the following Google resources for students to use with this lesson.

Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Docs).

In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

Pose the following brainstorming questions to your students, directing them to record their responses in their graphic organizer, share with a partner, and then with the class if they choose:

• What is your favorite movie? Why?
• Is this movie accurate in its portrayal of people, places, or eras? Why or why not?

INTRODUCTION

Play this introductory video clip [Clip #1] (10:02) for your students. Direct your students to answer the following questions on their graphic organizer:

• What did Jason Herbert come “to understand about Jaws ?”
• Based on the clip, what “impact” do films have on our view of the past or current situation?
• According to Herbert, why is The Patriot problematic? What does Herbert say about the film Pocahontas ?
• Based on the clip, what’s “the most dangerous film” made in the United States? Why? What effect does Christy Coleman describe?
• What does Coleman “hope that we’re learning?”

Direct your students to their graphic organizers to view and define the vocabulary terms and describe the selected films that will appear in the lesson in the chart in their graphic organizer handout. The vocabulary words and films are also listed to the right on this webpage. We recommend having your students define and present the terms in a jigsaw activity to save time.

Depending on time and resources, you may consider having your students define and present the terms in a Frayer's Model activity , where each student takes one or two words or films. Students can then post their models around the room for reference throughout the lesson. Note: this is not an all-encompassing list of terms and films included in each video. We recommend you previewing the video clips to determine any necessary additions/subtractions to this list for your specific students.

Have your students watch both engagement clips and answer the accompanying questions. Direct students to prepare to present their findings with the class when finished. Note: both clips feature Jason Herbert, creator of “Historians At The Movies,” talking with Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation executive director Christy Coleman during an event hosted by Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

Clip #2: Movies as Public History (8:56).

• Based on the clip, can both “well done [and] badly done” films be considered “public history?” Why or why not?
• As a historian, what does Jason Herbert say his role is between judging movies for “being true to the author and historical accuracy?”
• What does Christy Coleman say about “creatives,” people, and time?
• How does Coleman define her job and goals as a historical consultant for films? Summarize the steps she took during the production of the film Harriet .
• What does Coleman say viewers should “remember” while they watch films?

Clip #3: Movies as Moments in Time (2:57).

• Why does Jason Herbert say Trading Places was the “turning point” of his “Historians At The Movies” program?
• What does Christy Coleman say about Trading Places ’ depiction of New York?

EXPLORATION

Next, have your students choose (or assign) two of the four topics listed in the exploration section. Have students watch each clip and answer the accompanying questions. Direct students to prepare to present their findings with the class when finished. Note: both clips feature Jason Herbert, creator of “Historians At The Movies,” talking with Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation executive director Christy Coleman during an event hosted by Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

Clip #4: Indigenous Topics and Movies (5:25).

• According to Jason Herbert, why does “representation” matter?
• Based on the clip, why are books and movies about indigenous people “biased?”
• What does Christy Coleman find “interesting?” Summarize the argument she makes in discussing Native Americans and colonists.
• What “point” does Coleman say her organization tries to help her guests understand? How do other disciplines help in this work?

Clip #5: Gone with the Wind (1939) (10:14).

• Jason Herbert describes that films that leave questions are often “darker.” What does he mean?
• What purpose do animated movies often play, according to Herbert?
• What point does the audience member share regarding “lenses?” What action does Herbert “advise” regarding this point?
• According to Christy Coleman, what effects did Gone with the Wind have on society?
• How did actor Clark Gable’s other film compare to Gone with the Wind ? Why?

Clip #6: The Godfather (1972) (3:24).

• According to the audience member, why were his Italian friends “upset” with The Godfather ? Why does Christy Coleman say some groups were deemed “undesirable?”
• Based on the clip, how does The Godfather depict Italian communities?
• What does Jason Herbert mean when he says he has a different “relationship” to the film?

Clip #7: Star Trek (1960s) and Blazing Saddles (1974) (4:07).

• What did Christy Coleman find “amazing” when watching Star Trek ?
• Based on the clip, what “dark stuff” did the series tackle during the 1960s?
• According to Jason Herbert, what role does tone play in both Star Trek and Blazing Saddles ?

APPLICATION

As suggested by Justin Herbert in the third clip in this lesson (2:57), movies reflect life in particular eras. If time and available resources permit, direct your students to re-watch their favorite film or one of the films listed in this lesson to analyze how the film depicts elements of historical or contemporary culture.

As the film plays, have your students take notes about the film, using the application graphic organizer as a guide. Have your students develop a presentation and share their findings with the class.

Allow time for your students to prepare their findings from the application activity with their peers. After your students are finished sharing their findings with the class, direct them to complete the final culminating writing prompt in their graphic organizers, and have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates' perspectives: Having now learned about the impact of film in the public historical and contemporary spheres, describe what role Hollywood should play in society. Be sure to include evidence from the video clips in the lesson to support your argument.

Related Articles

• Home (Historians at the Movies)
• Historians at the Movies Builds a Community, One Film at a Time (American Historical Association)

Additional Resources

• Bell Ringer: Interpreting History from the Perspective of Individuals
• Bell Ringer: Black History Represented in Popular Movies
• Bell Ringer: Film Ratings and Government Censorship
• Lesson Plan: Who Tells Your (Imperfect) Story?
• Avatar (2009)
• Blazing Saddles (1974)
• Bonanza (1959-1973)
• Coco (2017)
• Free State Of Jones (2016)
• Gangs Of New York (2002)
• Gone With The Wind (1939)
• Harriet (2019)
• Indiana Jones (1981-present)
• Jaws (1975)
• Jurassic Park (1993-present)
• Pocahontas (1995 And 1998)
• Spotlight (2015)
• Star Trek (1960s)
• Star Wars (1977-present)
• The Big Valley (1960s)
• The Departed (2006)
• The Godfather (1972)
• The Good Lord Bird (2020)
• The Little Rascals (1955)
• The Patriot (2000)
• The Rifleman (1958-1963)
• Trading Places (1983)
• Wall Street (1987)
• Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

• History of Film

History of Film: Assignment: National Cinema

In the interwar period, between World War I and World War II, many filmmakers emphasized certain elements of film style in order to forge a distinct national film style. This was especially true in France, Germany, and the Soviet Union during the 1920s, and to a lesser degree in the United States.

In this writing assignment, discuss how one 1920s film from Germany, France, or the Soviet Union articulates a sense of nationalism through its use of one or more of the following formal elements:

• mise-en-scène : the process of placing props, costumes, performances, and settings in a scene. Some key terms include profilmic space, location filming, shadows, lighting, aperture framing, and gestures.
• cinematography : the process of using a camera and applying optical and chemical effects to create an photographic image. Some key terms include framing, shallow focus, contrast, slow motion, and angle of framing.
• editing : the process of selecting, cutting, and stitching together camera footage. Some key terms include cut, fade, flashbacks, elliptical editing, shot-reverse-shot.

You may select films in the following Letterboxd lists:

• Soviet Union

I recommend selecting two or more scenes from your chosen film and analyzing at least one of the formal elements listed above.

Your analysis should also consider the scene you selected in the context of the overall plot of the film and the motivations of the filmmaker working in the particular national context.

Be sure to describe the sequences you’re analyzing in detail. Do not use timecode : it doesn’t help me visualize the scene you’re discussing in your paper. Feel free to include a few screen captures from the film in your paper to illustrate your description of the sequence. Do not analyze the entire film, and do not summarize the plot. Also, do not use the word “successful” (or a synonym) anywhere in your essay.

You don’t need to include any outside research for this assignment, but if you do use any bibliographic sources, you will need to cite those. Please remember to italicize the title of the films—don’t put the title in quotes.

Your essay should be about 1200 words in length and is due in class on the date specified on the syllabus . Please do not email me your essay . Upload a double-spaced PDF document to Canvas to the assignment named “Essay 1: Prewar National Cinema.”

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Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema

(11 reviews)

Russell Leigh Sharman, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Copyright Year: 2020

Publisher: University of Arkansas

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Dennis Lo, Associate Professor, James Madison University on 7/31/23

1. Somewhat concerning how only two groups (women and African Americans) are examined in the “representation in cinema” section. Why only these two groups and not others? 2. The “brief history of cinema” is by and large a brief history of American... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

1. Somewhat concerning how only two groups (women and African Americans) are examined in the “representation in cinema” section. Why only these two groups and not others? 2. The “brief history of cinema” is by and large a brief history of American cinema. Left out are most other histories of world cinema. 3. Most intro to film textbooks don’t contain sections on Screenplays because these are more production oriented materials. Having this included is a helpful resource for students who are taking the class because they are aspiring filmmakers and not just future film critics/theorists.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

1. It is accurate in its summary of Hollywood film history, but to make it appear that Hollywood’s history can stand in for histories of film industries all over the world is inaccurate. 2. “How to Watch a Movie” is an excellent introduction and overview of what it’s like to engage in textual analysis of films. Can make for an excellent reading in an early week of Intro to Film.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

1. The inclusion of video essays in demonstrating concepts in film terminology is most welcome. 2. In general, it’s very effective to include video essays and examples of scenes directly in the chapters themselves.

Clarity rating: 3

1. It is written in a conversational style that is accessible to students who find jargon either unwelcoming or monotonous. However, the writing does suffer from a lack of rigor, and thus may only be suitable for freshmen and sophomore. Juniors and seniors would benefit from a text that draws from scholarship more rigorously.

Consistency rating: 4

The text is mostly consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is highly modular and I can see myself assigning individual chapters from the book rather than the entire textbook. These individual chapters can also be assigned for different classes.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

1. Acting is technically under mise-en-scene, so I'm not sure why it’s in a separate chapter. 2. Narrative should precede mise-en-scene since it constitutes its own textual system. To include narrative after mise-en-scene is a confusing choice since all other chapters delve into stylistic systems.

Interface rating: 5

1. The interface is clean and well-designed, easy to navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 3

1. The style is sometimes so colloquial and casual that it becomes inappropriate (e.g. “It is racist AF”). 2. While grammatically proper, its style is not representative of academic writing and thus might give students the wrong impression of the types of writing assignments they’re expected to complete as film studies minors and majors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

1. Most of the examples are from Hollywood films or Western national cinemas. Very few examples come from African, Latin American, Asian, and transnational cinemas. This severely misrepresents the diversity of films.

The text is appropriate for an Introduction to Film class at a high school and Freshmen level for its readability, accessibility, and modularity. Its inclusion of video essays, clips, and other digital resources are especially helpful for visual learners. It is also written in a style that would be appealing to those being exposed to film studies for the first time. However, due to its lack of coverage of cinemas outside the US and the West, its Eurocentric focus (which makes its cultural relevance suffer as a result), and an emphasis on readability over rigor, I cannot recommend it for an Intro to Film class that has upper classmen enrolled, who would require a more broad-based introduction to a history of all major national/transnational cinemas globally, as well as exposure to a more academic writing style which they could model their own prose after. For these reasons, I can foresee assigning each of the chapters as reviews or study guides to supplement my own teaching (they could be especially useful for exam review), but they would not replace the primary text I’m currently using (Bordwell and Thompson’s Film Art).

Reviewed by Ed Cameron, Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 12/16/22

Russell Sharman’s Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema provides an enjoyable introduction to the study of film and covers much of what is expected from an introductory text. Its level of comprehensiveness is a bit double sided. On one side,... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Russell Sharman’s Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema provides an enjoyable introduction to the study of film and covers much of what is expected from an introductory text. Its level of comprehensiveness is a bit double sided. On one side, the text provides a considerable background of both the aesthetic and social importance of film. In addition, almost half of the text is dedicated to extra-textual issues: historical background and production practices. On the other side, the hermeneutics of understanding film and its meaning-making language is somewhat sacrificed. There is the occasional nod (low-angle shot presents a character as larger than life), but introducing the skills concerned with interpreting a cinematic text is not developed systematically. It is one thing for a student to recognize the difference between a close-up and a long shot, but it is another to understand how and what each of these stylistic elements signify in certain contexts. The heavy attention to the historical background and practices of production might stem from the author’s experience as both a cultural anthropologist and a filmmaker, not sure. I will add that the text does provide a great introduction to the history of cinema and the intricacies of the production process, if that is what you are looking for. If your andragogical approach to film studies stems more from a literary or philosophical perspective, then you may need to supplement the text with an introduction to cinematic interpretive frameworks and the general semiotics of cinema.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Sharman’s text provides a good amount of formal terminology for the introductory student along with an evolution of many of the concepts behind the terms. The terminology is also all defined accurately. The text’s many forays into film history and the production process are also described accurately. The last section of the course, which deals with the social content of and representation in film, is ideologically heavy, but I would not call it inaccurate.

The text is very relevant and up to date (for the time of this review). It documents numerous contemporary films and transitional periods of film history. Since the text does focus on many current issues affecting cinema, then I suppose there will be some required updating in the future as new issues emerge. But for the current time, I think the text is up to date for an introductory book. Other than the investigations into these contemporary and current issues, the text should maintain its longevity as it devotes most of its attention to structural, historical, and technological features of cinema. It evens makes several references to the latest technological innovations (digitization, etc.) in film production. The author also includes the new mode of closed-form streaming narratives into many discussions. To reiterate, however, the text lacks some relevancy for an introductory course that needs a focus on cinema interpretation.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is easy to read and to follow. The writing is both informative and entertaining. It introduces much technical terminology and many concepts but never at an inaccessible level. The writing maintains an inviting and approachable tone throughout, making it easy for the introductory student to follow without lapsing into the tediousness into which textbooks often devolve.

Consistency rating: 5

As mentioned above, the text maintains a consistent entertaining and informative tone throughout. I think the author’s inviting and entertaining mood makes for a welcoming read. Every time the text is re-opened, the student will instantly recognize this convivial voice. Also, the author clearly displays his deep interest in the study of film, an interest that beneficially should prove contagious. The text is littered with comedic parenthetic asides, as indirect attempts to personalize the author’s voice. At first, these might be more inviting than they later become. Overall, the text could probably benefit some readers with a reduction in the quantity, but not duration, of these asides.

Modularity rating: 4

Because the text is organized in a well-thought-through manner, where some chapters necessarily must precede others, it may not rank the highest in modularity. However, modularity, in my mind, is a bit overrated. In the end, the text does form a unified whole, but teaching out of sequence would require some creativity.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is organized into two main parts: “An Introduction to Cinema” and “Representation in Cinema.” The former covers the formal elements of film (mise en scène, cinematography, editing, acting, etc.) while the latter covers the social importance of film (cinematic representations of and by women and African Americans). The first part takes up the lion’s share of the text and even begins with an introductory chapter that presents many of the concepts that will be developed in more detail and with examples in separate chapters. The second part of the text also begins with a brief explanation of the importance of representation in cinema. The first two chapters of the text provide a brief history of cinema and a chapter explaining what we do when we watch film. Overall, the text flows well and its purposive design works logically and developmentally. It makes sense that the text provides a formal explanation of cinema before delving into its social significance. One could, however, treat them separately, as the text presents them. So, I guess, modularity slips into the back door after all.

Interface rating: 4

The text is relatively easy to navigate from chapter to chapter. It also includes a table of contents with a drop-down menu that allows the reader to jump to any designated chapter. There are numerous relevant embedded videos scattered through each chapter, and all are bibliographed at the conclusion of the chapters. A handful of the embedded videos were, however, unavailable at the time I read the text. Only a small minority, however. The embedded videos highlight certain matters of formal, historical, and production importance. Alongside the attention to history and production, I would like to see some video clips that highlight how film signifies, how certain formal or stylistic elements indicate a specific significance or meaning. But this is not really a major purpose of this particular text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I only noticed a few typos in the text, none, however, that interrupted the flow to a significant extent.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As mentioned above, Sharman’s attention to representation in cinema makes the text culturally relevant. One chapter deals with the representation in cinema of and by women and the other deals with the representation in cinema of and by African Americans. Both chapters provide a critique the cultural hegemony by white men that has historically dominated the cinema industry. Eventually tying the first chapter to the recent MeToo movement and the latter to the also recent OscarsSoWhite campaign provides a culturally relevant examination of important cultural changes taking place in the entertainment industry. While Sharman only focuses on the representation and woman and African Americans, he recommends delving into the issue of representation of other historically underrepresented groups in the cinema for any users of his text.

Except for the lack of concentrated attention to the semiotics of cinema, it is hard to fault Moving Pictures. I think this text is an ideal text for use in academic programs that cross the divide between film production and film studies. For programs whose concentration slants more toward studying film as a finished product (studying Shakespeare’s sonnets without recurse to creative writing, for instance), this lack would require supplemental material.

Reviewed by Kevin Smith, Instructor, Chemeketa Community College on 11/15/22

This textbook by Russell Sharman is an excellent intro to film textbook that covers all of the standard stylistic and formal aspects of cinema study, while also managing to pack in a great deal of interesting history and industry commentary. None... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This textbook by Russell Sharman is an excellent intro to film textbook that covers all of the standard stylistic and formal aspects of cinema study, while also managing to pack in a great deal of interesting history and industry commentary. None of it comes across like it would be boring to students. The text also thoroughly deals with the social context of cinema (throughout, but especially in the second, shorter section of the book). One minor issue this reviewer had is that it felt a little light in its discussion of genre, but this is where the consistently excellent video examples come into play: there’s plenty of multimedia content included as parts of the body of the text (and linked out to if viewers and readers want it). This reviewer personally appreciated the downplaying of the auteur theory in favor of an ongoing discussion of film as a collaborative art form given its industrial underpinnings. The author also puts his own interesting spin on some film terms, such as “character” being a broader umbrella concept that is part of mise-en-scene.

Finally, after decades of almost all other film textbooks (there are a handful of notable exceptions) discussing cinematography as if the focal length of lenses is all that determines the look of a shot, someone finally has included additional, accurate technological information that isn’t dry or too technical and adds to an understanding of what goes into both making and watching a film. This has been a huge oversight in this academic subgenre for far too long, and it’s refreshing to see it corrected here without the need for students to shell out $150 to get it. This is just one example of the thoroughness that the author has brought to the subject, likely because he’s a filmmaker instead of just a film theorist.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The social context of film (always changing, but this is great for being over two years old, and the author notes that the online version is constantly being updated) is covered in both sections, but the second has two chapters devoted to a direct focus on representations of women and black people in film, as well as their participation in, and tragic exclusion from, the film industry. This reviewer has admittedly sometimes awkwardly introduced Lois Weber and Oscar Micheaux into their courses, but here the author does so effortlessly and without missing a beat on the fantastic discussion of film aesthetics. Recent developments in digital cinema are also covered.

The author uses accessible, direct language, and all relevant theoretical concepts are explained. The section on how to watch films is clearer and more practical than in almost every other similar selections this reviewer has previously encountered. How the author manages to (1) discuss feminism and the male gaze almost without mentioning psychoanalysis and the usual accompanying pseudo-scientific techno-jargon associated with it and (2) explain how cinema is like a language without mentioning structuralism and the usual accompanying pseudo-scientific techno-jargon is beyond the ken of this reviewer. The more general concepts underlying sometimes impenetrable critical theory are socially and formally relevant to any study of cinema, and this textbook does an excellent job of explaining why to readers.

The book does a fabulous job of introducing terms and concepts, explaining them, and providing video examples of them throughout, again with full attribution at the end of each chapter. No one concept, whether it be aesthetic, historical, or technological, is given unfair weight when the complete discussion here is taken into consideration. This reviewer did find it a little jarring that D.W. Griffith is discussed repeatedly, and in some detail, early on when the author later states he doesn’t want to talk about him, but that particular director has always deserved both recognition of his work and criticism of the representations he put into his films. It’s a terrible, lingering aspect of film history that shouldn’t be swept under the carpet, so this bifurcation can’t be criticized much.

If one didn’t want to discuss in detail some of the tragic aspects of the social context of film history, industry, and representation, one could easily not assign the final two chapters. However, any imaginable reason one would present to justify doing so would be incomprehensible to this reviewer and — oh hey look, the author already started including that content from the beginning, so students get it whether they think they need/want it or not. Because of this, the second section feels more like a welcome elaboration on earlier points rather than just something he tacked on at the end. In that spirit, this reviewer will finish their thought in the next section.

The technology, the vision, the money, the racism, the art, the hard work, the pushing women offscreen, the “innovators” who took credit for someone else’s work, and everything else that has happened in the film industry in the last 130 or so years is all at least touched on here. It never feels like the author felt obligated to toss something in just because other film textbooks do, and this commitment to discussing (almost) everything, warts and all, makes this the David Attenborough-narrated nature documentary of film textbooks. The author moves from discussions of watching and thinking about movies to their history through their technical aspects and then back to their social contexts in an informal (but highly informed) manner that engages readers with an open, welcoming tone that eschews didacticism while still imparting the crucial information one should have while thinking about film. The videos never seem dropped in randomly: they’re always serving as an example of a point the author is making. There are many, and their tone ranges widely from scholarly to popular. The “Every Single Word Spoken by a Person of Color in [Movie Z]” videos are excellent examples that should resonate with the current generation of college students and drive the point home. The one thing all of the multimedia content has in common is its direct relevance to the text and the concepts being discussed.

Like some other OERs, this is better read online (the author even states so in the preface) than in the PDF version. This reviewer could see situations (no internet connection) where having that latter file on one’s devices might come in handy, but the plethora of illustrative multimedia content shouldn’t be skipped over in those instances. This reviewer has three minor issues with the online version of the text. First, it’s difficult to find specific search terms. The search bar will only direct one to a section where that term appears. Second (and maybe this is just this reviewer), the table of contents might work better on the right-hand side rather than the left-hand side. This reviewer also didn’t understand why all the chapters didn’t appear immediately when the toc is opened. For that matter, why split the book into two sections? As stated earlier, all of the content is blended pretty seamlessly, so perhaps just present all 10 chapters as part of one discussion without bracketing off the last two. Finally, there doesn’t seem to be a way to link to the following chapter when one finishes the current one; one has to return to the toc. “Next Chapter” links at the end of each chapter would be welcome. This reviewer did not engage in a line-by-line comparison of both versions, but is guessing that having access to both versions might be a good idea.

Nothing that interferes with the content was noticed. Some may possibly be turned off by the informal tone and occasional grammar “mistakes” embodied in sentence fragments. But like that’s how people talk. So, okay. There is also the section where the author writes that The Birth of a Nation is “racist AF” and says about Griffith, “f%@k that guy.” This reviewer is not going to pick on those statements because they are relevant and students might possibly find the blunt commentary open and honest.

Enough has probably been said about this, but just in case not, this book has at least presents a solid opening into larger discussions of racism and sexism in film. #MeToo and #OscarsSoWhite are discussed, and while perhaps less attention is paid to, for example, Asian representation and participation in cinema, it is mentioned in the discussion of Way Down East. The author puts it best himself when he writes, “But I encourage you not to stop here. Use this as an opportunity to explore issues of representation for Native Americans, Asian Americans and the Latinx community. How does cinema influence our understanding of masculinity? Immigration? Mental health? The list is as long as our collective experience.” Film history and industries outside of Hollywood are covered, and some non-American films are used as examples. The continual emphasis on cinema as a social, political, and economic phenomenon in addition to an art form is solid. It seems like we’re in good hands here.

This reviewer thinks that the only thing left to say, and the highest praise that can be given to this textbook, is that they have found their new foundational film studies text. It only happens once a decade, so yeah: read this book and seriously consider adopting it for your courses. The author could easily have taken this to a commercial publisher, but he did not. Our students are fortunate.

Reviewed by Christina Allaback, Assistant Professor of Theatre, Director of Theatre, Umpqua Community College on 7/13/21

This is an extremely comprehensive book for an introductory to film class. It covers all major areas that I was already teaching and really expands on the basics that I cover in lecture. The first half of the book is entitled "An Introduction to... read more

This is an extremely comprehensive book for an introductory to film class. It covers all major areas that I was already teaching and really expands on the basics that I cover in lecture. The first half of the book is entitled "An Introduction to Cinema," and it covers a short history and also discusses how one should watch a film, but also has chapters on Mise-en-scene, narrative, cinematography, editing, sound, and acting. The second half of the book covers representation of African Americans and women in film, each having its own chapter. I am giving it a four because it does not have a glossary or index. However, each term is in bold in the chapter and since you can read it online, you can easily search the document.

I am my institution's theatre teacher who gets to teach the film class. While I have taken film classes before, it is not my area of expertise. But this book appears to be as accurate as the other two, expensive film textbooks I have read. It actually has helped me reorganize my class in a way that makes more sense. He has included, what I believe, are the formative films in our history, as well as the important film theorists and terms. Is it as detailed as the other film texts I have read? No. But it is perfect for a beginning class. The very long and expensive text I was using before was fantastic, for a film major. It had so much information that I didn't know what to do with it all and in a ten week class, the students barely put a dent in it.

I think this is a very relevant book. The foundations are there, but new films are incorporated. I imagine that this would be a fairly easy book to update. One thing I absolutely love about this book and the format is the fact there are film clips IN THE BOOK! You can read about the concept, then click a link and watch the film clip that demonstrates that concept, then he continues to analyze the film clip. Just fantastic. There are also little videos form YouTube that explain concepts in a little more depth, that might help students who are more aural learners. He also included historical moments and speeches, etc... Just nice little extras to help push the ideas forward. I think it would be very easy to change out those clips if you needed to update the book with newer films.

So most of the book is great. Written in accessible prose, professional sounding, however I am torn. At times he takes a very informal tone and sometimes even slang that I would think inappropriate for a textbook. For example, at one point he uses the term “AF” and he actually swears at one point, but censors it with ** . I understand he may be trying to use slang to be able to be able to bring in younger readers by using their language and slang or even to give a textbook a bit of humor. I understand this. It totally makes sense, especially if we are trying to make things more accessible. However, if I wrote a textbook, I don’t think I would use this language.

Very consistent. Concepts are described and illustrated in each chapter. They all have the same format. It is very easy to read and get into

This book has three formats available, which is great. It is easy to navigate. There are two halves of the book: Part one is an introduction to cinema and has eight chapters, each covering an aspect of film. The second half is about representation and it covers Women and African Americans in cinema. Chapter divisions make sense and there are headings to help keep things organized.

This is a very well organized book and it flows very nicely when read. Topics are definitely presented in a logical and clear fashion. Each chapter is set up in sort of the same way, so it helps reading comprehension. Also, the first chapters help inform the chapters after it.

Excellent and easy to use. You can click on a chapter and you are taken immediately to that chapter. There is a search function. All images and clean and clear, no typos. Note that only the online version has clickable links to film clips. And make sure you tell the students which one you prefer they read. The online version doesn’t have page numbers either.

Great. No errors that I noticed. Very well done.

Even though there are only two chapters on representation, I think this text does a great job with it. I might want a little bit more on representations, but I think this is adequate for a beginning film class that only lasts ten week. I am wondering if I would want more if I were teaching a semester long class. And he does a good job of explaining that the film industry is very male and white.

Reviewed by Caroline Smith, Associate Professor, The George Washington University on 2/25/21

Moving Pictures by Russell Sharman provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the world of cinema. The book contains a nice balance of history, the discussion of film terminology, and an examination of the way in which cinema can... read more

Moving Pictures by Russell Sharman provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the world of cinema. The book contains a nice balance of history, the discussion of film terminology, and an examination of the way in which cinema can influence audience’s perceptions, particularly in regard to identity politics. At one point, Sharman writes, “Just as the text you are reading right now defies easy categorization – is it a book, an online resource, an open source text – modern cinema exists across multiple platforms – is it a movie, a video, theatrical, streaming – but the fundamentals of communication, the syntax, grammar and rules of language, written or cinematic, remain relatively constant.” I found this characterization to be extremely accurate. The book with its combination of text and image is more dynamic than the average textbook. It approaches the complexity of cinema by addressing the way in which modern technology as well as social movements have affected the industry.

I found this book to be accurate. It provides readers with comprehensive definitions of film terms and, most importantly, pairs those definitions with video clips that demonstrate the various film techniques discussed.

The book is excellent in terms of introducing students to the world of cinema, but even more importantly, unlike other film texts, this book addresses the role that cinema plays in our current historical moment. The author references movements such as the #MeToo movement and #OscarsSoWhite movement as a way of tying real life events to his subject matter. He does an excellent job of discussing the ways in which the film industry has been complicit in extolling the work of white men. I teach a writing course which focuses on women in film, and I found the second part of the text, “Representation in Cinema,” to be extremely relevant to our class discussions. It would provide my students with a good historical basis for understanding Hollywood’s discriminatory politics. It will be easy to update or add to this last section of the book so that it will be culturally relevant in the future.

Sharman’s book contains accessible and entertaining language. I found his prose easy to navigate, and his periodic inclusion of questions will engage the reader. Furthermore, his tendency to tell stories at the start of each chapter was a terrific way to draw the reader in. Certain moments in the text actually made me laugh. (At one point, he describes D. W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation “racist as AF.”)

His inclusion of videos to illustrate technical terms and demonstrate various points he is making is invaluable. Being able to talk about match cuts and depth of field shots with students and actually have an accessible example on hand – embedded in their (free!) textbook – is incredibly helpful. I also found the bolding of important terminology to be an effective strategy to draw students’ attention to film concepts. Again, his sense of humor is revealed in these clip picks. His video selection for the section on costuming begins with a clip from the Incredibles in which a character is critiquing the superhero suit of the protagonist. The clips included in the “Representation in Cinema” section included clips titled “Every Single Word Offered by a Person of Color” for popular films such as Jaws and E.T. Needless to say, these moments were pretty much non-existent. Having students watch the silence will drive home the point that Sharman is trying to make.

One of the things that I most appreciated about this book was that it practiced what it preached. In the introduction, the author indicated that it was important to him to discuss the issue of representation in film. He addressed this issue in Part I of his book, which dealt with the more “technical” aspects of film by including video clips from films with directors of various subject positions. The work of women and filmmakers of color were integrated into his textbook alongside those white, male directors who are often included in film texts, which reinforced Sharman’s commitment to social justice.

Not only would it be easy to assign individual chapters to classes, but Sharman’s book is appropriate for a number of different courses. In addition to being a good fit for an introduction to film course, this book would be an excellent choice for anyone teaching a writing course about film. I teach two first-year writing seminars on film – one about romantic comedies and one about women filmmakers. The technical introduction to film would be excellent for both courses, and the “Representation in Cinema” section would enrich my current course about women filmmakers. As a writing instructor, I liked the way in which Sharman made connections between form and content – something I do continually in my writing class. I also liked that the text approached film from a number of disciplinary angles.

The organization of this text worked well for me. I thought that the two-part approach – “An Introduction to Cinema” and “Representation in Cinema” – was extremely effective.

The embedding of images within the text is an incredibly valuable aspect of this text – in fact, it is one of the main reasons I am considering assigning this text to my classes in the future. Being able to see an example of a technique alongside an explanation of a technique is extremely useful.

I did not notice any issues with grammar. The author adopts a fun, conversational tone.

This book is culturally relevant. Right now, with so many social justice movements taking place in the United States, it seems incredibly important to include mention of some of these movements as they relate to the film industry. The sections on women and film and black filmmakers are timely.

I appreciated that the author recommended outside sources to supplement his arguments in the section “Representations in Cinema.” Specifically, his reference to Harry Bernshoff and Sean Griffin’s America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies was useful. I also liked his section on how to watch a movie, as it is something that my students find difficult to do, having consumed film primarily for entertainment. His discussion of analysis versus taste would also be useful to undergraduate classes to get students to move beyond “I like it/I don’t like it” into the area of critical film analysis.

Reviewed by Sarah O'Brien, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia on 11/16/20

This is an "intro" text that does not attempt to comprehensively cover everything that a several hundred page film studies 101 textbook would. But it does provide a fulsome frame and set up the key concepts/language for students brand new to film... read more

This is an "intro" text that does not attempt to comprehensively cover everything that a several hundred page film studies 101 textbook would. But it does provide a fulsome frame and set up the key concepts/language for students brand new to film studies.

The text does a lovely job of defining film terms with precision.

The text uses some current examples from pop culture that will appeal to students, but it is not dependent on them and students several years from now will not be lost without them.

Teaches specialized film language effectively.

Tone and style are consistent throughout.

I can see assigning all of the text across 1-2 units for some classes, and using just a couple sections for other courses where I just want to introduce or refresh a concept.

This follows the organizational structure of most intro film texts.

Easy to use interface and three different options for format.

I noticed no grammatical errors.

The chapters on issues of representation (women and African Americans) are one of the text's greatest assets. In establishing them as among the key intro topics, they compellingly frame these issues as fundamental parts of the study of cinema.

I was delighted to find this text in the Open Textbook Library. I teach first-year writing courses that focus on film and television, and I've long needed a resource like this that presents the building blocks of cinema in an accessible and engaging manner. I really cannot ask my students to buy an expensive film studies textbook, as that is not really the focus on my courses, yet I do spend a lot of time teaching them film language and equipping them with the tools needed for close film analysis. My strategy up to now has been to cobble together a bunch of bits and pieces that I've gleaned from books and online resources over many years--inevitably this means updating links and replacing outdated stuff with new finds every semester. This text does all of that work for me, and then some! Sharman strikes a tone that I suspect my students will love, and he presents everything in a conversational yet compelling tone. The inclusion of excellent audiovisual essays within the text (readers do not have to link to them) is especially strong. I'm excited to try this text in courses I'm designing for next semester.

Reviewed by Paul Bempechat, Visiting Lecturer, Massachusetts College of Art and Design on 6/29/20

This book is a fully appreciable, understandable and comprehensive introduction to the origin of film via photography and its evolution. The prose is narrative, personable, and readily understood by undergraduates and graduate students alike. read more

This book is a fully appreciable, understandable and comprehensive introduction to the origin of film via photography and its evolution. The prose is narrative, personable, and readily understood by undergraduates and graduate students alike.

Aside from typographical errors in French, there is literally no room for inaccuracies, as the author substantiates his findings and analyses with graphic and cinematographic illustrations, buttressed by end-of-chapter bibliographies highly pertinent to the materials just explicated.

The author has presented the material chronologically and systematically, along with an analysis of film technologies and procedures as they evolved until the present. All that may be required are updates on evolving technologies as they emerge and become relevant to this study.

The author's prose is perfectly lucid and invitingly informal, making it ideal for students; his enthusiasm is palpable. All technical terms relevant to the creative process, the actual filming and editing processes, choices of stage personnel and behind-the-scenes personnel, from administrators to set/sound/costume/scenery/editing designers are meticulously explained. The histories of the evolutionary processes of the genres and technologies bring cohesion to an ever-developing, complex art form.

The author's enthusiasm runs through the entire book, and his level of explication is entirely consistent from chapter to chapter, as is his linguistic tone.

The book is very well divided by chapter and therein, subdivided very carefully, creating "resting spots" at appropriate spots.

The divisional and subdivisional flows are systematic and highly comprehensible, never overdone, and enhanced with appropriate illustrations and pointings to online videos. Color illustrations would, of course, further enhance the book.

The author provides links to online sites such as Youtube for audio-visual examples, which can be confusing.

Very few errors exist in English. As the author's style is so subjectively narrative, punctuation is obviously idiosyncratic; as stated, there are several errors in the French words, especially with accents missing and occasional upper/lower case misappropriations.

The narrative is inclusive and welcoming to all peoples, and as such, is exemplary.

I find this book an ideal tool for undergraduate film teaching. I would have liked additional emphasis and illustration on the history and incorporation of sound and music, including brief biographies of the major composers of film scores to buttress the historical and technical arguments made. This is entirely subjective, of course.

I recommend this book whole-heartedly and congratulate the author on his excellent achievement and contribution

Reviewed by Stephen Slaner, Instructor in Behavioral Science, Bunker Hill Community College on 6/23/20

It's hard to rate this category. The book is quite comprehensive except for one element, but this is arguably essential: the director. The author might have taken a leaf from Andrew Sarris' THE AMERICAN CINEMA, which analyzes and ranks motion... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 2 see less

It's hard to rate this category. The book is quite comprehensive except for one element, but this is arguably essential: the director. The author might have taken a leaf from Andrew Sarris' THE AMERICAN CINEMA, which analyzes and ranks motion picture directors from Griffith to Hitchcock and beyond. An adequate discussion of the role of the director, with specific examples, should have been included. There are some passages, as in the section on mise-en-scene, that speak to this, but they are few and far between.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

As far as I can tell, the book is accurate, but leaving out an essential element (see above) makes it somewhat misleading as an overview of the cinema. The sections it does have -- including cinematic language, mise-en-scene, and a historical context -- are interesting and helpful, but leaving out the director is a real problem. As to whether a book like this is or should be "unbiased," that is a can of worms. Naturally it has a point of view, but I think it doesn't interfere with the presentation of the material.

The book seems up to date in terms of technical innovations in cinema, and its discussion of cinematic language gives the reader an opportunity to evaluate for herself how future film-makers accomplish their objectives. I'd say it's relevant.

This is a real strength. The book is clear and well written. It should be accessible to an undergraduate audience approaching the subject for the first time.

I saw no obvious inconsistencies, so I would give the book a top rating in this category.

Whether the topic is how to "read" a film or how to situate a film in its historical context, the different chapters lend themselves to whatever organization the teacher might consider, including changing the sequence of material.

The book has a nice flow, making it accessible to students who might have problems with a more self-consciously academic treatment.

Pictures are used effectively to break up the text. I liked the overall appearance of the book.

More important than grammar (which is fine) is that the style is engaging and no more academic than it needs to be.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I appreciated the sections on women and African-Americans, but would have liked to see a chapter on working-class themes in film (e.g., John Sayles' MATEWAN, Robert Altman's THIEVES LIKE US, Jean Vigo's L'ATALANTE, Jean Renoir's LA VIE EST A NOUS, Karel Reisz's MORGAN, Raoul Walsh's THE BOWERY, Frank Borzage's MAN'S CASTLE, to name a few). In other words, the book is fine with race and gender, but less so with class.

The word for my reaction to the book is "ambivalent." It's mostly a well-crafted and engaging treatment of the subject, but leaving out an essential element is like writing a book about cars without talking about their engines. As a committed auteurist, I believe that the director is primarily what keeps the film going. A film by Welles, Hitchcock, or Lubitsch is instantly recognizable (think, for example, of "the Lubitsch touch"), which gives you some idea of how important the director is to the whole process. Perhaps a revised edition of the book could include a section on this aspect of the cinema.

Reviewed by Christina Hodel, Assistant Professor, Bridgewater State University on 6/4/20

"Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema," provides a rigorous overview of all of the basic concepts any new film studies student or enthusiast should be aware of. Beginning with a clear definition of what the word 'cinema' means followed by a... read more

"Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema," provides a rigorous overview of all of the basic concepts any new film studies student or enthusiast should be aware of. Beginning with a clear definition of what the word 'cinema' means followed by a concise--yet worthwhile-- history, sets readers up with a solid foundation for forthcoming concepts. Typical subject matter of introductory film courses at the undergraduate collegiate level— such as chapters on mise-en-scene, editing, cinematography, and sound—are well-covered and detailed. Extra content not ordinarily found in comparable texts, including chapters on women in cinema and African Americans in cinema, indicates the author's acknowledgment of covering contemporary issues and an inclination towards inclusivity.

Items not overtly present that would be of value to readers comprehending cinema at the introductory level is material about genre, film theory, film technology, and an overview of the production process. Although these topics are mentioned, they are given little attention, leaving readers with a lacuna in their education and appreciation of movies. Nonetheless, what is covered is a viable compilation of content covering a vast scope sure to retain readers' attention.

"Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema," is not a romanticized version of film history and criticism, nor does it harbor any language acknowledging a 'great man' theory. Unbiased in its approach, the facts set forth are well-researched and up to date. In assessing the accuracy of this book, the following four criteria were considered: 1) Correctness. Information was double-checked against a trustworthy source, and no misleading information was found. 2) Authority. The source is written by a reliable ad unbiased author with the proper credentials on the subject matter. 3) Currency. Up-to-date sources are utilized throughout the book's entirety. 4) Coverage. Claims made provide sufficient information and data indicating work is accurate.

While the text is relevant and content is up to date, references to films will be obsolete in the mind of many of today's young readers. For example, sound in the 2018 film 'A Quiet Place' is discussed, but already the film's sequel is complete in the year 2020. 2018 is hardly “old news” to most, but may be off-putting to those who demand instant news of the moment. While the example still meets learning objectives, some readers may already be more familiar with the sequel rather than the original film, and thus be less engaged in the book's content. The author appears to remedy this by discussing many classic films, which some may argue stands the test of time, while others see it as merely more historical content. This tendency to become obsolete is not unique to "Moving Pictures" as many other fields, especially those in media and technology, also grapple with such issues as swiftly changing trends. The book’s strength is that the films used for case studies or examples are so popular that even if they are a few years old, readers would likely be familiar with them anyways. Overall, the book's value trumps these minor observations.

There are links to many YouTube videos illustrating the text’s content-- a significant strength of the manuscript. YouTube itself is a popular and timely site. However, links to films may no longer be working in a few years. This issue can easily be managed, however, with constant updating.

Again, despite these criticisms, the manuscript is still very timely and uses language to illustrate this by discussing such trending (as of 2020) applications as TikTok, for example.

The books is well-written, and the tone and wordage are accessible to most. Hard to grasp ideas are communicated effectively with an intended undergraduate audience in mind. For example, the book uses the word ‘leitmotif’ before providing a definition and then two concise examples that bring the word to life. Similes pepper the book, such as one explaining how actors are like athletes. These comparisons are nice touches that are relatable to both the earnest film student or generalist. While a few assumptions are made (i.e., the author says, “We most often associate classical acting with Shakespeare” and that is a generalization), the book does not fail to deliver content in a manner that is both academic yet perfectly simplistic. Well-constructed sentences and excellent word choice indicate the manner in which the manuscript is written: deliberately not carelessly.

Writing is consistent throughout the book. For example, active verbs instead of noun-based phrases are used from the first chapter to the last. There is no jargon scattered about, rather words familiar with the reader fill the pages. One writing style is used throughout, thus not distracting readers. Overall, the book consists of wonder harmonization of elements. There is no hesitation that slows reading, comprehension is not impeded, and there is little risk of interpretation error.

The book consists of 10 chapters. The first eight chapters are “Part I: An Introduction To Cinema” while “Part II: Representations in Cinema” follows. Logically organized, early chapters define cinema, provide a historical context, and teaches readers to be critical of their viewing habits before formal elements are introduced in subsequent chapters.

The chapters on representation in Part II are useful examples of how readers can take what they’ve learned and apply it to an analysis of gender and then race representations.

Each chapter consists of approximately five subsections allowing for a sort of "chunking." The subsections of each chapter group together similar concepts and ideas, making for excellent organization by topic and ease of synthesizing major concepts.

Even within these subsections videos, appearing approximately every 5-7 minutes of reading, allow for illustrative purposes and reflective moments.

Many chapters begin with a question or anecdote and fascinating facts to reel in readers. While the ends of some chapters conclude abruptly without a final takeaway or transition to the next topic, overall, each section and subsection flow nicely. Due to these sections and subsections being based on interrelated ideas, they “fit” the other parts in which they are reinforced. For example, the chapter on lighting alludes to a previous chapter about how light aids in storytelling.

The interface is straight forward and user friendly. The scroll-from-top-to-bottom nature of the book allows for those viewing it on their smartphones an easy visual read. An intuitive table of contents on the E-version of the book (there is a PDF version, etc.) allows readers to effortlessly jump from one section to another or find important chapters and subsections with ease. There are no navigation issues and or anything else that would confuse the reader. While there are the aforementioned YouTube videos scattered about, they are neatly tucked between appropriate paragraphs.

There are no grammatical errors. The manuscript is well edited.

The book is culturally sensitive, although there are two chapters at the end that focus on women's issues and African American issues. The problem with these chapters is that they could be more inclusive. Other marginalized groups such as Native Americans, Asians, the disabled, religious groups, etc. are not discussed. Perhaps the two chapters could be broader and turned into three: race, gender, and other marginalized groups. While many chapters about history reference, for example, international cinematic influencers such as the Lumière brothers, the majority of the book about contemporary cinema is centered on mainstream American cinema. Many video clips feature white actors, and white directors make the films, but there are still some international perspectives such as discussion of work by Akira Kurosawa. Additional chapters about arthouse cinema and international cinema are warranted. As I said earlier in this review, the book in generally inclusive and culturally sensitive, making it a solid read for even the most diverse audiences.

“Moving Pictures: An Introduction To Film” is a wonderful open access textbook that is sure to meet any professor’s course objectives and outcomes. Expertly written, entertaining, factual, and comprehensive, Moving Pictures is comparable with many other popular books such as “Looking At Movies” (Dave Monahan) or “Understanding Movies” (Louis Gianetti). “Moving Pictures” is a valuable resource about how films communicate and convey meaning to viewers. Readers will finish the book with increased appreciation and understanding of why we respond to films the way we do and how movies function in society.

Reviewed by Stephen Rust, Part-time instructor, Linn-Benton Community College on 5/27/20

Based on my 15 years teaching Intro to Film at the college-level, I give Moving Pictures a 4 out of 5 for comprehensiveness. I am strongly considering adopting the book for my Intro to Film course at a community college; I appreciate why the... read more

Based on my 15 years teaching Intro to Film at the college-level, I give Moving Pictures a 4 out of 5 for comprehensiveness. I am strongly considering adopting the book for my Intro to Film course at a community college; I appreciate why the author included two chapters on representation but chapters instead on film theory and film production (or film’s relationship to radio and television) would provide a more comprehensive 10 chapter textbook. I say this in part because the author does a great job already of weaving issues of representation into the chapters and selecting women and African Americans (why not gender and race/ethnicity) limit comprehensiveness. In perhaps the unit on Representation were extended to 6 or 8 chapters to parallel the book’s first unit on Form and content then the book would feel more comprehensive. I appreciate the effort to include representation but it feel someone undeveloped and limiting in how it’s organized. I would also love to see the author include review questions like most film studies textbooks and/or a chapter with a sample assignment or two like the textbook Film Studies: An Introduction.

Individual chapters are well developed and the extensive use of well-chosen Youtube videos (which I assume the author will update regularly as links change) to supplement the writing provides a level of comprehensiveness at the undergraduate level eclipsed only by expensive textbooks like Looking at Movies.

Very accurate and precise writing. Any reader will correctly learn the basic vocabulary and language of cinema studies and all the key information any cinema studies student should know to do exceptional work in beginning production courses and upper-division analysis and history courses.

Written recently and based on extensive teaching experience, Moving Pictures: An Introduction to Cinema is a timely and welcome addition to the list of first-year college film course textbooks and is arguable the most relevant, accurate, and comprehensive OER film studies textbook currently available. Examples are drawn from the history of film through the end of the 2010s and all video links are up to day and perfectly selected to compliment the chapter content. The author writes from an American perspective to American students and some figures of speak fairly consistent focus on Hollywood examples make it a little less relevant than some of the more globally focused

From start to finish, the author’s friendly (though opinionated) writing style drew me in as a reader and maintained my interest and engagement with really interesting anecdotes from film history and interdisciplinary references to literature, theater, and other arts.

The blend of video and text throughout the book is consistent and the quality of writing and choice of supplemental videos is strong throughout the book.

Perfectly suited to use in Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, Google Classroom and any other learning platform a teacher might be using for instruction. 10 Chapters works perfectly for a 10-11 Week academic term. Does not include chapter learning objectives, a glossary, or review questions and sample assignments.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The book is very well organized for Part 1 of the textbook, Chapters 1-8; however, while some reviewers may feel otherwise, I am not a huge fan of how the author organized Part 2 of the book with just two chapters on Women in Cinema and African Americans in Cinema. I can already see the hands going up in class when/if I assign the book to students – “What about Native peoples? What about Latinx representation? What about class? What about men?. Perhaps if the current chapters where organized around Race/Ethnicity and Gender/Sexuality it would work better i think.

Individual chapters are expertly organized to guide student through key concepts and vocabulary that every cinema studies student needs in their scholarly toolkit! I wouldn’t mind seeing a list of learning objectives at the start or end of each chapter.

Like all Pressbooks, the look is clean and sharp though navigating to chapters can be clunky. The extra bonus of this book is the extensive use of embedded Youtube videos in each chapter to enhance the author’s written content. Very user-friendly overall.

No noticeable typos. Accurate use of all cinema studies vocabulary. Does need a glossary for all terms that defined in the chapters.

The writing is inclusive and attuned to cultural difference and equity. The author’s friendly, inviting voice and use of unique examples that are always clearly connected to the content of the chapter will allow readers from a wide range of cultural background to feel welcomed into the conversation. The author is also attentive to issues of gender, race, and ethnicity throughout the book. Youtube videos selected for supplemental learning are also well-chosen with attention to cultural sensitivity. Including Alice Guy’s Cabbage Fairy right with the Lumieres and Edison as part of early film is a small example of the consistent attention inclusivity throughout the book. The two chapters on Women in Cinema and African Americans in cinema are excellent. However, as the only two chapters in this unit they do stand out as seeming to be a start or nod toward greater attention to representation without having the kind of fully developed content of a textbook like American on Film. I understand the effort but would much rather see chapters on Race/Ethnicity and Gender to allow for a broader sense of representation. Culturally, the author presents content from and American point of view and a little more attention to global cinema might be a nice update to a second edition.

Reviewed by Elaine Craghead, Professor of Humanities, Massachusetts Maritime Academy on 5/27/20, updated 7/14/20

The text is divided into Part I and PartII. The first section is very comprehensive (though the genre explanation/definition should either be expanded, or separated out into its own section). It's a wonderful way to introduce students to the... read more

The text is divided into Part I and PartII. The first section is very comprehensive (though the genre explanation/definition should either be expanded, or separated out into its own section). It's a wonderful way to introduce students to the elements and language of film and film techniques. The imbedded clips are fantastic, and run the course of film history, from Intolerance and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to recent films like Thor: Ragnarock and Snowpiercer. This is the way that students should learn about film: reading and seeing examples at the same time. It makes a textbook for this type of course seem totally obsolete. In Part II, all Sharman covers is Women in Film and African Americans in film. He does fine with them on an introductory level, but adding a section on Asians in American film (Charlie Chan to Nancy Kwan to Crazy Rich Asians, and much more) and a section on Native Americans in film (enduring stereotypical cowboy/Indian motifs; whites playing Native Americans, attempts to "humanize" Native Americans in westerns; Tantoo Cardinal's film career, and much more). In addition, a section on sexuality in film would be an excellent addition to Part II--and here the film censors' control of film production for a time could be introduced. Instructors probably couldn't get through all of the sections in an expanded Part II a semester, but then they could choose from more topics and/or assign groups for in-depth research and presentations.

Very accurate.

Very much up-to-date and yet tethered in the history of film. Each definition/description has multiple examples in the form of clips--from various periods of film.

So clear, comprehensible and approachable for students who have seen quite a bit of film, but who know little about what goes into making a film.

Each section follows a similar approach of describing, defining/illustrating the concepts in words and following up with film clips as illustrations. This process repeats several time within one section, so by the time that a student finishes the section, s/he will have a solid grasp of the term.

One of the best texts I've seen in OER for modularity--the film terms section, and even Part II, on Women in Film and African Americans in film, can be lifted out to be assigned in a different order or to accompany other materials.

Organization works well, but as stated above, its modularity makes for easy reorganization.

Very easy to navigate. No special skills needed.

Well-written, on the whole, and in a tone/approach that students will likely appreciate.

This book addresses the visual world that students know in many ways, that is part of their social and cultural lives. But it addresses the many layers of filmmaking that most students do not know, the many stages of writing, artistry, and critical thinking that go into making a film. In Part II, the diversity of film begins to be addressed, but again, in only providing sections for women and African Americans, the book falls short of what it could accomplish.

The multiple film clips are the biggest plus of this text--the fact that Russell Sharman was able to get permissions for all of them is so impressive--and will simultaneously introduce students to a history of classic film and demonstrate how those techniques live on today in films with which they are familiar.

Table of Contents

I. An Introduction to Cinema

• 1. A Brief History of Cinema
• 2. How to Watch a Movie
• 3. Mise-en-Scène
• 4. Narrative
• 5. Cinematography

II. Representation in Cinema

• 9. Women in Cinema
• 10. African Americans in Cinema

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Textbook for 1000- level Communication course: Introduction to Films Studies

About the Contributors

Russell Leigh Sharman is a writer, filmmaker and anthropologist. He has worked as a writer for several studios and production companies, including Warner Bros., Fox, Disney, MRC, DeLine Pictures, 21 Laps, Participant Media, Montecito Pictures, Original Media, Dark Horse Entertainment, Strange Weather and Real FX. He is the writer/director of APARTMENT 4E, a feature adaptation of his stage play, as well as a number of award-winning short films and documentaries. He also has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Oxford University and is the author of two books, THE TENANTS OF EAST HARLEM and NIGHTSHIFT NYC. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Communication at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville where he teaches filmmaking and film studies.

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FILM STUDY WORKSHEET FOR A WORK OF HISTORICAL FICTION

A cross-curricular activity using a movie worksheet.

Click here to download TWM’s Film Study Worksheet for Historical Fiction . Adapt this movie worksheet for the needs and abilities of the class.

Why Students Need Instruction in Historical Fiction

Today’s adults usually become acquainted with events from the past through movies that are works of historical fiction. However, feature films that deal with historical topics are in fact stories with protagonists, antagonists, conflicts, resolution, characters with various personality traits, and other literary elements and devices. Often, filmmakers introduce major factual errors in the interests of telling a better story. (An example of this is the movie  Selma .) TWM contends that an important part of both social studies and ELA instruction is to give students the analytical tools to recognize historical fiction in film and to analyze it as a work of fiction. These are skills that will benefit students throughout their lives.

In addition, many social studies teachers use feature films dealing with historical events to supplement curriculum and vary the classroom experience. Using an appropriate piece of historical fiction adds an element of deeply felt experience to social studies classes. An educational presentation of such a movie requires that students be made aware that they are viewing a literary work that employs the devices of fiction. Not only does this approach prepare students for a process that will be useful through their adult years, it has obvious cross-curricular benefits.

To assist teachers in presenting historical fiction as a literary phenomenon,TWM has developed a Film Study Worksheet for Historical Fiction. This movie worksheet focuses on the film as a literary work and then directs students to compare the movie to the historical record. Finally, the worksheet requests students to evaluate the movie as a source of historical information. The worksheet is designed to be adapted by teachers based on the abilities of their students, time constraints, and the needs of the curriculum.

To minimize class time spent on teaching students about the literary nature of historical fiction, TWM suggests a Historical Fiction in Film Cross-Curricular Homework Project. This is a semester-long project in which students are required to watch several movies of historical fiction at home. The movies must be chosen from a list prepared by the teacher. See TWM’s film suggestions for American History and World History. For each film, students are required to fill out a movie worksheet in which they must identify protagonist, antagonist, conflict, resolution, and various other literary elements and devices. As time permits, these can be reviewed in class. This approach teaches an invaluable lesson while saving class time for the standard social studies curriculum.

How to Use the Movie Worksheet in Class

SELECTING THE FILM:

TWM recommends selecting movies for both artistic merit and relative historical accuracy. Teachers should be seen as role models who insist upon quality in the media they present. For some students, watching films in class or as homework will be their first exposure to movies of excellence. TWM provides suggested historical fiction film lists for American History and World History.

USING THE WORKSHEET IN CLASS:

It is sometimes best to give the class an introduction to the actual events portrayed in the film through a lecture, reading assignments, class exercises, research project, or some other type of instruction. Information with which to evaluate the accuracy of the movie can also be provided after the film has been shown. (Most TWM Learning Guides for works of historical fiction contain an analysis of the accuracy of the film.) Students who are shown a movie in class can be assigned to research the historical accuracy of the movie as homework. Questions 7 – 10 of the movie worksheet provide questions relating to the movie’s historical accuracy.

Review the worksheet and make any changes appropriate for the abilities of the class, the idiosyncrasies of the movie, and the goals for the unit. The worksheet can also be easily adapted for written works of historical fiction or for use in English Language Arts classes studying the genre of historical fiction. For works of historical fiction that follow the paradigm of the hero’s journey, see TWM’s Hero’s Journey Worksheet — Explaining the Monomyth ; modify that Worksheet as appropriate and consider adding questions 7 – 10 from the Film Study Worksheet for Historical Fiction.

If necessary, remind students that the antagonist in a story is not limited to being a person. The antagonist can also be nature, an institution, a condition of society, a personality trait of the protagonist, or a problem in the relationship between the protagonist and another person. The antagonist is whoever or whatever the protagonist must overcome in the conflict described in the story. Student descriptions of each should include their role in the story and some of their important character traits.

TWM suggests that students review all of the questions in the movie worksheet before they watch the film. Several three to five-minute breaks during the movie will allow students to review the questions again and make notes without missing any of the action. Provide a longer period of five to ten minutes after the movie has been completed for students to finalize their notes and then sufficient time to write full answers to the questions. Teachers may want to assign this last step as homework.

There are many different ways that the movie worksheet can be employed in class. For example, instead of having each student provide a written response to the worksheet, the questions can serve as the basis for a class discussion. Students can also be separated into groups of four or fewer, with each group being asked to give an oral presentation in response to a question on the worksheet. The worksheet can be simplified by eliminating some of the questions or by only requiring a single device of fiction to be discussed (question #4) and only one striking image to be described (question #6). In addition, when there are no reasonable ways for students to research the accuracy of the movie, delete question #7 or substitute another question for it. In these instances, the accuracy of the movie should be described in a lecture, a handout, or by some other means.

An example of a worksheet adapted for the film Music Within with suggested responses is available at the Music Within Film Study Worksheet with Suggested Responses. This film, which TWM highly recommends, is about the life of Richard Pimentel who advocated for the rights of the disabled and was one of the people responsible for the passage in 1990 of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The acceptance of the disabled as full-fledged human beings and the removal of barriers to their participation in society was one of the five great advances in human rights in the United States that began during the 20th century (see the Learning Guide to Music Within). In the case of this movie, there is not a lot of research material available that students can access in order to verify the accuracy of the film. Therefore, question #7 from the Worksheet has been changed to ask a specific question about the movie. Information provided in the Learning Guide about the accuracy of the film will need to be given to students in the form of a lecture.

HISTORICAL FICTION IN FILM CROSS-CURRICULAR HOMEWORK PROJECT:

Having students watch movies outside of class conserves instructional time. Because viewing works of historical fiction will usually be the main way that students experience history in their adult lives, TWM suggests that each semester, students in high school social studies or ELA courses be given a homework assignment to watch two — four filmed works of historical fiction. This can also be done in higher functioning middle school or junior high classes. Students should be required to analyze the film by responding to the questions presented in the movie worksheet. This can be done alone or in groups. See TWM’s Historical Fiction in Film Cross-Curricular Homework Project.

HISTORICAL FICTION IN THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS:

Published in 2010, the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects include historical fiction as a genre of literature covered by the Standards. p. 57. In addition, historical fiction is specifically mentioned in the Reading Literature standards for CCR 9 for grades 6 & 7 on page 37 and in the writing standards under CCR 9, page 44. The fact that historical fiction is included in the definition of the term “fiction” means that all of the Standards that relate to fiction as a whole relate to historical fiction as well.

The Common Core standards support the analysis of historical fiction in social studies classes but only for grades 6 & 7. TWM believes that this is a major deficiency. Because historical fiction will be the primary way that most students will learn about historical events as adults, TWM recommends that historical fiction be part of the social studies curriculum through grade 12.

TWM has developed generic movie worksheets designed to cover most types of fictional presentations. These worksheets stress the literary elements and devices of the story and engage higher level thinking skills. There are worksheets for:

• General Fiction ;
• Adaptations of Novels ;
• The Hero’s Journey ;
• Historical Fiction ; (this worksheet) and
• Science Fiction .

These movie worksheets are designed to be modified for the abilities of the class, the curriculum goals of the teacher, the idiosyncrasies of the film, and specific literary, dramatic, or cinematic elements that the class has studied that may be evident from the movie.

Film Analysis

What this handout is about.

This handout introduces film analysis and and offers strategies and resources for approaching film analysis assignments.

Writing the film analysis essay

Writing a film analysis requires you to consider the composition of the film—the individual parts and choices made that come together to create the finished piece. Film analysis goes beyond the analysis of the film as literature to include camera angles, lighting, set design, sound elements, costume choices, editing, etc. in making an argument. The first step to analyzing the film is to watch it with a plan.

Watching the film

First it’s important to watch the film carefully with a critical eye. Consider why you’ve been assigned to watch a film and write an analysis. How does this activity fit into the course? Why have you been assigned this particular film? What are you looking for in connection to the course content? Let’s practice with this clip from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Here are some tips on how to watch the clip critically, just as you would an entire film:

• Give the clip your undivided attention at least once. Pay close attention to details and make observations that might start leading to bigger questions.
• Watch the clip a second time. For this viewing, you will want to focus specifically on those elements of film analysis that your class has focused on, so review your course notes. For example, from whose perspective is this clip shot? What choices help convey that perspective? What is the overall tone, theme, or effect of this clip?
• Take notes while you watch for the second time. Notes will help you keep track of what you noticed and when, if you include timestamps in your notes. Timestamps are vital for citing scenes from a film!

For more information on watching a film, check out the Learning Center’s handout on watching film analytically . For more resources on researching film, including glossaries of film terms, see UNC Library’s research guide on film & cinema .

Brainstorming ideas

Once you’ve watched the film twice, it’s time to brainstorm some ideas based on your notes. Brainstorming is a major step that helps develop and explore ideas. As you brainstorm, you may want to cluster your ideas around central topics or themes that emerge as you review your notes. Did you ask several questions about color? Were you curious about repeated images? Perhaps these are directions you can pursue.

If you’re writing an argumentative essay, you can use the connections that you develop while brainstorming to draft a thesis statement . Consider the assignment and prompt when formulating a thesis, as well as what kind of evidence you will present to support your claims. Your evidence could be dialogue, sound edits, cinematography decisions, etc. Much of how you make these decisions will depend on the type of film analysis you are conducting, an important decision covered in the next section.

After brainstorming, you can draft an outline of your film analysis using the same strategies that you would for other writing assignments. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind as you prepare for this stage of the assignment:

• Make sure you understand the prompt and what you are being asked to do. Remember that this is ultimately an assignment, so your thesis should answer what the prompt asks. Check with your professor if you are unsure.
• In most cases, the director’s name is used to talk about the film as a whole, for instance, “Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo .” However, some writers may want to include the names of other persons who helped to create the film, including the actors, the cinematographer, and the sound editor, among others.
• When describing a sequence in a film, use the literary present. An example could be, “In Vertigo , Hitchcock employs techniques of observation to dramatize the act of detection.”
• Finding a screenplay/script of the movie may be helpful and save you time when compiling citations. But keep in mind that there may be differences between the screenplay and the actual product (and these differences might be a topic of discussion!).
• Go beyond describing basic film elements by articulating the significance of these elements in support of your particular position. For example, you may have an interpretation of the striking color green in Vertigo , but you would only mention this if it was relevant to your argument. For more help on using evidence effectively, see the section on “using evidence” in our evidence handout .

Also be sure to avoid confusing the terms shot, scene, and sequence. Remember, a shot ends every time the camera cuts; a scene can be composed of several related shots; and a sequence is a set of related scenes.

Different types of film analysis

As you consider your notes, outline, and general thesis about a film, the majority of your assignment will depend on what type of film analysis you are conducting. This section explores some of the different types of film analyses you may have been assigned to write.

Semiotic analysis

Semiotic analysis is the interpretation of signs and symbols, typically involving metaphors and analogies to both inanimate objects and characters within a film. Because symbols have several meanings, writers often need to determine what a particular symbol means in the film and in a broader cultural or historical context.

For instance, a writer could explore the symbolism of the flowers in Vertigo by connecting the images of them falling apart to the vulnerability of the heroine.

Here are a few other questions to consider for this type of analysis:

• What objects or images are repeated throughout the film?
• How does the director associate a character with small signs, such as certain colors, clothing, food, or language use?
• How does a symbol or object relate to other symbols and objects, that is, what is the relationship between the film’s signs?

Many films are rich with symbolism, and it can be easy to get lost in the details. Remember to bring a semiotic analysis back around to answering the question “So what?” in your thesis.

Narrative analysis

Narrative analysis is an examination of the story elements, including narrative structure, character, and plot. This type of analysis considers the entirety of the film and the story it seeks to tell.

For example, you could take the same object from the previous example—the flowers—which meant one thing in a semiotic analysis, and ask instead about their narrative role. That is, you might analyze how Hitchcock introduces the flowers at the beginning of the film in order to return to them later to draw out the completion of the heroine’s character arc.

To create this type of analysis, you could consider questions like:

• How does the film correspond to the Three-Act Structure: Act One: Setup; Act Two: Confrontation; and Act Three: Resolution?
• What is the plot of the film? How does this plot differ from the narrative, that is, how the story is told? For example, are events presented out of order and to what effect?
• Does the plot revolve around one character? Does the plot revolve around multiple characters? How do these characters develop across the film?

When writing a narrative analysis, take care not to spend too time on summarizing at the expense of your argument. See our handout on summarizing for more tips on making summary serve analysis.

Cultural/historical analysis

One of the most common types of analysis is the examination of a film’s relationship to its broader cultural, historical, or theoretical contexts. Whether films intentionally comment on their context or not, they are always a product of the culture or period in which they were created. By placing the film in a particular context, this type of analysis asks how the film models, challenges, or subverts different types of relations, whether historical, social, or even theoretical.

For example, the clip from Vertigo depicts a man observing a woman without her knowing it. You could examine how this aspect of the film addresses a midcentury social concern about observation, such as the sexual policing of women, or a political one, such as Cold War-era McCarthyism.

A few of the many questions you could ask in this vein include:

• How does the film comment on, reinforce, or even critique social and political issues at the time it was released, including questions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality?
• How might a biographical understanding of the film’s creators and their historical moment affect the way you view the film?
• How might a specific film theory, such as Queer Theory, Structuralist Theory, or Marxist Film Theory, provide a language or set of terms for articulating the attributes of the film?

Take advantage of class resources to explore possible approaches to cultural/historical film analyses, and find out whether you will be expected to do additional research into the film’s context.

Mise-en-scène analysis

A mise-en-scène analysis attends to how the filmmakers have arranged compositional elements in a film and specifically within a scene or even a single shot. This type of analysis organizes the individual elements of a scene to explore how they come together to produce meaning. You may focus on anything that adds meaning to the formal effect produced by a given scene, including: blocking, lighting, design, color, costume, as well as how these attributes work in conjunction with decisions related to sound, cinematography, and editing. For example, in the clip from Vertigo , a mise-en-scène analysis might ask how numerous elements, from lighting to camera angles, work together to present the viewer with the perspective of Jimmy Stewart’s character.

To conduct this type of analysis, you could ask:

• What effects are created in a scene, and what is their purpose?
• How does this scene represent the theme of the movie?
• How does a scene work to express a broader point to the film’s plot?

This detailed approach to analyzing the formal elements of film can help you come up with concrete evidence for more general film analysis assignments.

Reviewing your draft

Once you have a draft, it’s helpful to get feedback on what you’ve written to see if your analysis holds together and you’ve conveyed your point. You may not necessarily need to find someone who has seen the film! Ask a writing coach, roommate, or family member to read over your draft and share key takeaways from what you have written so far.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Aumont, Jacques, and Michel Marie. 1988. L’analyse Des Films . Paris: Nathan.

Media & Design Center. n.d. “Film and Cinema Research.” UNC University Libraries. Last updated February 10, 2021. https://guides.lib.unc.edu/filmresearch .

Oxford Royale Academy. n.d. “7 Ways to Watch Film.” Oxford Royale Academy. Accessed April 2021. https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/7-ways-watch-films-critically/ .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Teaching Film Analysis in the Humanities

Lobby card from the original 1939 release of  The Wizard of Oz .

Wikimedia Commons

Developing media analysis skills is an essential component of 21st century learning and the work of teachers across all grade levels and classrooms. The ability to discern fact from fiction, understand how an argument is constructed, how visuals might represent or misrepresent a time and place, and examining the process and motivations behind video and audio production are skills used in personal and public arenas beyond the school.

This resource is offered for teachers across the humanities who use film and incorporate opportunities for students to develop media analysis skills. The questions and activity prompts provided below are not specific to any one film or form of visual media, but designed for use with a variety of film genres that depict historical eras and in the interest of inspiring student inquiry.

Guiding Questions

What learning outcomes regarding content and skills are we teaching for when students analyze films?

What roles do viewers play in perpetuating and/or what are the viewer’s responsibilities for minimizing the issues and conflicts depicted in the film?

Why is a film made and in whose interest?

Who’s missing from the historical narrative(s) presented in the film?

The following questions are designed for broad application when viewing films for the purpose of learning about an era, topic, or theme within the humanities. Note: The questions do not seek to elicit information about a specific film, but rather prompt analysis and discussion about how films construct meaning and interpreting film making.

What assumptions does the film make about cultures and behaviors?

• What are the counter arguments to the narrative(s) presented in the film?
• To what extent does who wrote, directed, and produced the film matter to the perspectives presented in the film?
• Why does who starred in the film matter?
• How does the director use symbolism to convey meaning throughout the film?
• To what extent does the film offer commentary on contemporary political, social, economic, or cultural phenomena?  
• Does the film pass the Bechdel test?
• How does this film compare to other films on the same or a similar topic?
• What changes could be made to the casting and what would it mean for the film?
• How is conflict constructed and to what extent are those conflicts equitably resolved? Consider person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. nature, and person vs. technology.
• Are the solutions to conflict(s) presented in the film sustainable?

Now that the film or film excerpt is over, what will students do to further their knowledge about film making, casting, costuming, and more? Use the activity prompts below to catalyze student inquiry about key topics and other course related areas of study.

Role play —Take on the role of a dramaturg, set designer, costume designer, location scout, or cinematographer. What do you need to know before filming begins? How will your role affect the production of the film? How does your involvement affect the telling of the story? What role does technology play in assisting you in the completion of your responsibilities to the film?

Missing perspectives —Identify a scene that you believe is missing something. Perhaps there is need for a counter argument based on primary source analysis or a character was omitted from the film despite having a connection of historical importance to the story. Based on research, revise the script to add dialogue that draws upon primary source materials. Does your addition change the trajectory of the film?

Time and place —What if the film was set in another time and place? What would change about cultural norms, casting, and more if the film had a different setting? If the film being analyzed is historical, did similar stories occur elsewhere at the time, how will you tell that story, and/or are they relevant now?

Close Reading —Select a scene or two from a film and analyze them the way you would a political cartoon or piece of art. The close reading of a film involves analyzing symbols, lighting, camera angles, facial expressions, body language, background, and more. Incorporating film analysis vocabulary within an essay, a critique written for a public audience, or using storyboard software to record a voice over analysis that combines audio and visual media are possible forms for students to demonstrate learning.

The Cutting Room Floor —What students learn from   analyzing films and the film making process can be applied to the creation of a short film of their own. Whether it is an original screenplay and production, a documentary style film that incorporates audio and visual resources with a voiceover, or some other form of filmmaking, students can utilize digital storyboard software to create their own short film. In doing so, students will be able to discuss their decision making about what was kept in and what was left out, demonstrate understanding of concepts such as point of view analysis, narrative, and other components of writing, editing, and producing visual media. 

Write a Review —Consider the following when preparing to write a review of a film as if you will publish it for the public to read as they decide whether or not to watch the film. In addition to the prompts below, review Duke University's Thompson Writing Program Film Review guide. 

• Before watching the film, conduct research about the director, screenplay writer, the lead actors, the subjects and topics you know are included within the film, and other elements of interest to you and of importance to the film.
• While watching the film, use some of the questions provided above to analyze the film, but also develop your own perspective on the film that goes beyond the plot (i.e your analysis). Collect notes about the plot, symbolism, questions you have about historical accuracy (if relevant), the score or other musical contributions, and other images or topics that capture your attention. 
• After viewing the film, conduct research to answer the questions you have developed and begin writing your review. Keep in mind that a review does not focus on critiquing what you did not like about the film (although there is room for such evaluation), but rather, a review offers an objective consideration of what the director, actors, cinematographer, writer, and other contributors are doing as story tellers using an audio-visual medium.

The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides sample film reviews and other suggestions for this type of writing assignment. 

The following resources offer questions and insight for designing film and media analysis activities. 

• University of North Carolina Writing Center—Film Analysis : How do viewers make meaning of symbols used in films? How can a viewer best engage in contextual analysis when studying a film? These and other questions are included in this film analysis guide. 
• Use Video to Stimulate Critical Thinking : This guide provides short videos and handouts for teaching and designing activities about film analysis. 
• Humanities magazine provides a selected filmography about the films of Ken Burns. 
• EDSITEment provides this viewing guide for Ken Burns's 2016 Jefferson Lecture speech. 

The National Endowment for the Humanities continues to fund cutting edge films, documentaries, and television programming that touch on a range of topics related to the humanities, civic participation, and U.S. history and culture. 

• Scripting the Past: Exploring Women's History through Film : In this lesson, students learn the craft of screenwriting, engage in historical research to learn how filmmakers combine scholarship and imagination to convey historical figures and events to an audience, and reflect on how cinematic storytelling can shape our view of the past.
• 20 NEH Funded Films : A list of films funded by the NEH that can be used in a classroom and enjoyed at home. 
• The NEH and Preserving Cinematic History : According to this Humanities magazine article, "at least 50 percent of all films made for public exhibition before 1950 have been lost." What is being done to restore and provide access to these films?
• Watch Martin Scorsese's 2013 Jefferson Lecture at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Related on EDSITEment

2016 jefferson lecture: ken burns, a literary glossary for literature and language arts, q&a with public scholar candacy taylor, scripting the past: exploring women's history through film, a teacher's guide to the films of ken burns, using primary sources in digital and live archives, hamlet and the elizabethan revenge ethic in text and film, people not property : stories of slavery in the colonial north.

Film and Media

The Uses of Film in the Teaching of History: Results of a National Workshop

Theodore K. Rabb | Mar 1, 1997

Editor's Note: Theodore Rabb was principal historical adviser for the television series described in this article. He wrote the article because he received many questions about the workshop and thought that it would be useful to share his experience with a wider audience. Readers interested in obtaining more detailed information may contact the author through e-mail at [email protected].

In 1993 the Medici Foundation, the producer of the six-part Renaissance television series, which had aired on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and which later was nominated for an Emmy Award, sponsored a series of workshops on the uses of film in the classroom. Thanks to a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) of the U.S. Department of Education, it was possible to hold six workshops, each in a different city of the United States: Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, and Boston.

The 191 participants in the workshops were history faculty from various institutions. Forty percent came from small four-year colleges, 52 percent from community colleges, and 8 percent from high schools. As the basis for their discussions, the participants viewed examples of the PBS series and sample films from an 18-part telecourse, distributed by the PBS Adult Learning Service (with accompanying textbook and teacher and student manuals) that the Medici Foundation derived from the PBS series and entitled The Renaissance: Origins of the Modern World . Beyond these materials, however, the participants were encouraged to consider in general terms the problems and opportunities that this kind of instruction presents. The result was a succession of broad and illuminating assessments of the ways film can be used in the teaching of history.

From the start, of course, there were almost as many views and approaches as participants. Nevertheless, whatever their initial attitude toward the use of films in teaching—hostile, enthusiastic, indifferent, or merely puzzled—all who attended the workshops learned a great deal from one another, left the meetings much more fully aware of both the problems and the opportunities offered by audiovisual materials, and generally agreed about a number of basic issues. That these were not merely vague impressions was confirmed by Research Communications, the FIPSE evaluator of the project, which administered a formal assessment of the proceedings (by way of before-and-after survey instruments) and concluded that the consequences were significant, among both the participants and their students.

The following were the main issues that were addressed at the workshops.

The Problem of Student Attention

For many students, audiovisual materials shown in the classroom are associated with—as one participant put it—“the history class taught by the football coach.” They assume that any time given over to such materials is somehow not a “real” class and tune out accordingly. If the presentation is entertaining, such as a feature film, they do not take it seriously. Alternatively, their attention spans shrink when sober documentaries are shown. The participants stressed that with careful preparation, however, a class can be persuaded to think analytically about film, and to regard visual material as no less relevant, either as primary or as secondary texts, than written materials. In particular, they recommended handing out questions about the film in advance, making provision for interruptions for discussion, and warning that the films would appear on tests. Above all, it was agreed that whatever the method, deliberate efforts were needed to ensure that films had their intended effect.

The Relative Merits of Film and Print

Every teacher at the workshops believed that students learn far more from print than film; however, nearly all of them—even the doubters, who came to accept the point grudgingly by the end of their workshop—acknowledged that film conveys certain kinds of information (especially atmospheres and feelings) that written texts cannot provide. It can stimulate inquiry (even reading!) and educate through visual memory in ways that words cannot. On the other hand, film is so powerful that it can close off, as well as stimulate, speculation and ideas. Although some argued that both forms of learning are essential and complementary, others put print far above film, and this remained an area of contention.

Student Skills

While it is often said that students raised on TV are more sophisticated viewers, making higher demands on visual materials, this was far from a unanimous skill. All participants agreed about the effectiveness of nonwritten forms of communication and teaching in classes with low literacy levels, but many argued that students are as incapable of analytic watching as they are of analytic reading. It is not easy to get them to use film for purposes different from those for which it was made (for example, to understand Spartacus as a reflection of American democracy as well as an evocation of ancient Rome). The general consensus was that careful guidance is as necessary with films as with books, showing students how to discern, for instance, different points of view or structural devices. To this end, the workshops advocated the establishment of film labs in which students can have group discussions and see films more than once. In general, it was agreed that film can level the playing field because it offers opportunities for intellectual achievement to some students who struggle with the written word, while at the same time posing challenging problems for those who do well with texts.

One of the differences that participants regarded as likely to be permanent has to do with the length of film that can be shown to students in class. Viewing in one’s own time, as an “outside” requirement, is one thing. But in-class screenings create significant problems. Some felt that a full viewing was essential for students to enter into the emotional atmosphere of a film. Others, anxious to preserve class time, insisted on using short extracts. For both groups, a central issue was the mechanism of delivering the film, because videotapes are cumbersome to cue and do not lend themselves to indexing and brief extracts. Although only a few of the participants had experience with laser discs or CD-ROMs, let alone CD-Interactive or digital video discs (all of which are more precisely programmable media), it was the general impression that digitized visual materials were likely to ease the difficulties in future, should the funds become available to equip classrooms with the necessary hardware.

Identification of Visual Resources

Despite the interest in both film and new technologies, most participants admitted that information about what is available is hard to come by. Apart from the need for advanced technology, the most serious shortcoming for those who want to use visual materials in their teaching is the absence of a mechanism that would offer easy access to information about available resources. In particular, there is far less information available about documentary films than about feature films. Because documentaries are often the equivalent of primary sources (while feature films are more like secondary sources), this disparity is particularly unfortunate.

The workshops concluded with a number of recommendations for the future:

• Because the exchange of ideas and experiences is crucial as new techniques are developed, teachers will benefit greatly from a newsletter, occasional meetings, and any other means that can be devised for discussing with fellow practitioners the most effective techniques for using film in the classroom.
• Because information is hard to come by, it would also be enormously useful if there were easily accessible data, such as a national listing, about the availability of films and documentaries for classroom use.
• Similarly, there is a need for direct and simple access to up-to-date information about the latest developments in audiovisual technologies.

In general, the appetite for information and ideas was only whetted by the workshops, and it may be that the American Historical Association could devise ways of stimulating further exchanges of this kind.

—Theodore K. Rabb is professor of history at Princeton University.

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Transfer Credits

Online undergraduate-level course, history of film music.

Authored by Jack Freeman

Course Code: OLART-220

Next semester starts June 24 Enroll by 5 PM ET. Limited seats available.--> Enroll by 5 PM ET. Limited seats available.-->

3-credit tuition, non-credit tuition.

If you’re even considering a career in film scoring, the material offered in this course is an essential introduction to understanding the traditional role of composers, as well as what the future of scoring looks like. Beginning in the late 1800s with silent films and through to the present day, this course provides an overview of the major stylistic trends and musical influences that led to the development of film scoring as a vital and living dramatic art form. 

• Analyze and identify the characteristics of music associated with major genres of films
• Chart the influence of each generation of film composers on the next
• Identify archetypes, role models, and clichés used in significant film scores
• Connect films and film music to their eras
• Think critically about the ways in which music is paired with visuals

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Lesson 1: Early Film Music

• Functions of Film Music in the Silent Film Era
• Functions of the Musical Score
• Musical Accompaniment in Silent Films
• Assignment 1: Types of Music in Silent Films

Lesson 2: Late Silent Era and the Transition to Sound Film

• The Kinetoscope
• Imagery in Early Films
• The Vitascope
• The Great Train Robbery
• Camille Saint-Saëns and L’Assassinat du Duc de Guise
• The Edison Kinetogram
• The Music Cue Sheet
• Mood Headings
• The First Successful Compiled Score
• Discussion: Compare and Contrast Approaches
• Theater Ensembles Replaced by the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ
• Motion Picture Moods
• International Filmmakers Compete with Hollywood
• The Jazz Singer
• Assignment 2: The Theater Organ

Lesson 3: Early Sound Film and Romantic Influences

• Technical Methods of Sound Synchronization
• Challenges with Early Sound Films
• The “Talkies” and the End of an Era
• Discussion: The Cost of Sound
• Oscar-Winning Composers
• Influences of the Late Romantic Era
• The European Émigrés: Max Steiner
• The European Émigrés: Franz Waxman
• The European Émigrés: Erich Korngold
• Assignment 3: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)    

Lesson 4: The Hollywood Studio System

• The Major Studios, Part 1: The Big Five
• The Major Studios, Part 2: The Little Three
• Structure of the Hollywood Studio System
• Discussion: Now Hiring
• Alfred Newman and the Studio System
• The Newman Dynasty
• The Fox String Sound
• The Newman System
• The Newman Family Tree
• The Music of Alfred Newman: The Prisoner of Zenda
• The Music of Alfred Newman: The Song of Bernadette
• The Music of Alfred Newman: Captain from Castile
• Herbert Stothart
• Assignment 4: Roles in the Music Department 

Lesson 5: European Nationalism And Film Noir

• European Nationalism in the Pre-War Era
• Expressionism
• Discussion: Concert Composers and Expressionism
• Elements of Film Noir
• Bernard Herrmann: The Father of Modern Music in Film Noir
• Citizen Kane (1941)
• Citizen Kane: Main Title
• Citizen Kane: Montage and Final Sequence
• Adolph Deutsch
• The Maltese Falcon (1941)
• David Raksin    
• Laura (1944)    
• Miklós Rózsa    
• Assignment 5: Citizen Kane as Film Noir    

Lesson 6: American Nationalism and Americana

• Aspects of Americana    
• Aaron Copland: Founder of the Americana Sound
• A Survey of the Americana Style through the Years    
• Hugo Friedhofer: Breaking out of The Box
• Hugo Friedhofer: The Young Lions    
• Discussion: Stirring the Melting Pot    
• Alex North    
• Elmer Bernstein    
• Hollywood in the Age of McCarthy    
• Dimitri Tiomkin: The Russian Americana Composer and Songwriter    
• Discussion: An Era of Change    
• Wilder and Waxman: Sunset Boulevard    
• Further Exploration: Avant-Garde    
• Further Exploration: The Electronic Invasion    
• Assignment 6: The Best Years of Our Lives    

Lesson 7: The Decline of the Studios and the Rise of Popular Music

• The Studio System in Decline    
• Fighting Back with Innovation: 3D Movies    
• Fighting Back with Innovation: Wide-Screen Projection    
• Fighting Back with Innovation: Technicolor    
• Fighting Back with Innovation: Drive-In Movies     
• Fighting Back with Innovation: Stereo Sound    
• Hollywood Blockbuster Films: Victor Young and Around the World in 80 Days    
• Hollywood Blockbuster Films: Elmer Bernstein and The Ten Commandments    
• Hollywood Blockbuster Films: Malcolm Arnold and The Bridge on the River Kwai    
• Hollywood Blockbuster Films: Miklós Rózsa and Ben-Hur    
• Hollywood Blockbuster Films: Alex North and Spartacus    
• Hollywood Blockbuster Films: Maurice Jarre and Doctor Zhivago   
• The Rise of Popular Music: Henry Mancini and Touch of Evil    
• Henry Mancini: Peter Gunn    
• Henry Mancini: Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Days of Wine and Roses    
• Henry Mancini: The Pink Panther Strikes Again     
• Discussion: It's a Hit!     
• Adolph Deutsch and Some Like It Hot    
• Assignment 7: Hollywood Strikes Back

Lesson 8: Birth of a New Era: The New Wave and the New Hollywood

• The Rising New Wave      
• Profile of a New Wave Composer: Georges Delerue    
• Shoot the Piano Player    
• Day for Night    
• Hitchcock and Herrmann    
• Vertigo    
• Psycho    
• New Approaches for the New Hollywood: Quincy Jones    
• Elmer Bernstein and To Kill a Mockingbird    
• The Spaghetti Western    
• The Composer of the Spaghetti Western: Ennio Morricone    
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly   
• Truffaut’s Tribute to Hitchcock: Fahrenheit 451    
• The Pop Song Takes Over: The Graduate    
• Appearance of Two New Types of Film Composer    
• The Song Score    
• Easy Rider    
• Changing Times    
• The Adapted Scores of Stanley Kubrick    
• 2001: A Space Odyssey    
• Discussion: Main Title Comparison    
• Composers of Marketable Film Scores    
• Writers of Rich, Melodic Themes    
• Writers of Hard-Driving Grooves with Jazz or Rock Instrumentation    
• Songwriters Who Could Also Provide Underscore    
• Hollywood’s Anti-heroes and their Scores    
• Nino Rota and The Godfather    
• The Godfather and Building Suspense    
• Assignment 8.2: The Godfather and Building Suspense    
• Jerry Goldsmith: Tradition plus Innovation Equals Perfection    
• Planet of the Apes    
• Patton    
• Chinatown   
• The Original American Gladiator and the Dawn of Neoclassicism    
• A Neoclassical Landmark Score: Jaws    

Lesson 9: Classic Revival, Postmodern Influences 

• Postmodernism: Identifying an Elusive Idea    
• Discussion: A Postmodern Era?    
• Back to the Golden Age: John Williams    
• John Williams and Star Wars    
• Assignment 9.1: Analysis of Williams’s Motivic Approach    
• John Williams and Close Encounters of the Third Kind    
• John Williams and Raiders of the Lost Ark    
• John Williams and E.T. the Extraterrestrial    
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture    
• James Horner and Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan    
• Basil Poledouris and Conan the Barbarian    
• Assignment 9.2: Comparison of Two Film Scores    

Lesson 10: Synthesis and Hybrid Scores: Other Time and Other Places 

• Music Synthesis: A Primer    
• A Gallery of Classic Synths and Samplers
• From the Disco to the Movie Theater: Giorgio Moroder    
• Rise of the Machines: Wendy Carlos    
• From Science Fiction to Horror: John Carpenter    
• Self-Taught Synth Legend: Vangelis    
• Jerry Goldsmith and Runaway    
• Tangerine Dream and Sorcerer    
• Goldsmith or Tangerine Dream?    
• Maurice Jarre and Witness    
• Popular Music Hits its Stride    
• A Return to Eclectic and Adapted Scores    
• Discussion: Revisiting the Adapted Score    
• Assignment 10: Starting Your Comparison Paper

Lesson 11: World Music, Exotic Locales; A Return to the Symphony 

• World Music Film Composers: Ravi Shankar     
• World Music Film Composers: Maurice Jarre    
• World Music Film Composers: John Williams    
• World Music Film Composers: Byrne, Sakamoto, and Su    
• World Music Film Composers: John Barry    
• World Music Film Composers: Ennio Morricone    
• Americana Revisited: Ennio Morricone    
• Americana Revisited: Bill Conti    
• Americana Revisited: Randy Newman    
• Americana Revisited: James Horner    
• Americana Revisited: Bruce Broughton    
• In Response to Vietnam    
• Discussion: Context Is King    
• Back to the Blockbuster: Alan Silvestri and Back to the Future    
• Back to the Blockbuster: Alan Silvestri and Who Framed Roger Rabbit    
• Michael Kamen and Lethal Weapon   
• Danny Elfman and Batman    
• David Grusin and The Milagro Beanfield War    
• Back to the Blockbuster: Hans Zimmer and Rain Man    
• Back to the Studio System
• Back to the Past: James Horner and Glory    
• Back to the Past: James Horner and Titanic    
• Back to the Past: John Williams and Far and Away    
• Back to the Past: John Williams and Schindler’s List    
• Back to the Past: Luis Bacalov and Il Postino
• Assignment 11: John Williams and the Far and Away “Land Race” Sequence    
• Back to the Musical: Alan Menken and Beauty and the Beast    
• Back to the Musical: Hans Zimmer and The Lion King    
• Back to Americana: Terence Blanchard and Malcolm X    
• Back to the Newman Family: David Newman and Galaxy Quest   
• Back to the Newman Family: Thomas Newman and American Beauty    
• Back to Classic Film Genres: James Newton Howard and The Fugitive    
• Back to Classic Film Genres: James Newton Howard and The Sixth Sense    
• Back to Classic Film Genres: Rachel Portman and Chocolat    
• Back to Classic Film Genres: Don Davis and The Matrix     

Lesson 12: The New Millennium 

• Further Developments in the New Millennium
• Concert Composers Crossover: Philip Glass and Kundun   
• Concert Composers Crossover: Tan Dun and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon    
• Concert Composers Crossover: John Corigliano and The Red Violin    
• Concert Composers Crossover: Elliot Goldenthal and Frida    
• In the Shadow of 9/11: Moulin Rouge!    
• In the Shadow of 9/11: The Triplets of Belleville    
• In the Shadow of 9/11: Finding Nemo    
• In the Shadow of 9/11: Spider-Man    
• In the Shadow of 9/11: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone    
• Howard Shore and The Lord of the Rings    
• Michael Giacchino and Star Trek    
• Marco Beltrami and The Hurt Locker    
• Carter Burwell and True Grit    
• International Film Composers Come to the Fore
• Alexandre Desplat and The King’s Speech    
• Ramin Djawadi and Iron Man    
• Joe Hisaishi and Spirited Away    
• Alberto Iglesias and The Kite Runner    
• Clint Mansell and Black Swan    
• Dario Marianelli and Atonement    
• John Powell and How to Train Your Dragon    
• A.R. Rahman and 127 Hours
• Gustavo Santaolalla and Babel    
• Discussion: Looking Back, Looking Around    
• Assignment 12: Comparison Paper

Requirements

Prerequisites and course-specific requirements .

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills This course does not have any prerequisites.

Textbook(s)

• Reel Music: Exploring 100 Years of Film Music (2nd Edition)  by Roger Hickman (W. W. Norton & Company, 2017)
• Recommended: Complete Guide to Film Scoring: The Art and Business of Writing Music for Movies and TV (2nd Edition)  by Richard Davis (Berklee Press, 2010)

Student Deals After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Chats. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

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Instructors

Author & Instructor

Jack Freeman has been teaching courses in film music editing, composition, and history at Berklee College of Music since 1991. He also supervises and designs facilities and classrooms in support of the Berklee curriculum. Freeman has extensive experience in film and video production, working in the fields of network broadcast, cable, and community television, and is well-versed in a wide variety of analog and non-linear editing platforms. He has given seminars and demonstrations in film music for the "Grammy in the Schools" program among others, and has composed original music for a variety of documentary, industrial, and experimental films and video productions.

What's Next?

When taken for credit, History of Film Music can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:

Related Certificate Programs

• General Music Studies Professional Certificate
• General Music Studies Advanced Professional Certificate

Related Degree Majors

• Bachelor's Degree in Electronic Music Production and Sound Design
• Bachelor's Degree in Guitar Performance
• Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Music Studies (Create Your Own Major)
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Business
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Production
• Bachelor's Degree in Songwriting and Producing Music
• Bachelor's Degree in Songwriting
• (Pre-Degree) Undeclared Option

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Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:

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Film Production Assignment #1

The Emerging Cinema

Cinema: An artistic arrangement of visual (and sometimes) auditory stimulus to deliberately express something to   an audience.  Cinema is meant to be viewed but should not be made in order to appease all viewers and all tastes.  Cinema should be deeply personal.  

Personal experience should be valued.  Personal expression should be shared.  Cinema is an idea.  Anyone who wants to express themselves cinematically, should.   We should film what we know.  We should share our neighborhood experience.  We should share our cultural experience. We should share our thoughts and feelings cinematically, without fear of comment or criticism. The comments and criticism will come whether we fear them or not.

For those who wish to express themselves through motion pictures, an education in cinema has never been more readily available.  

I listened to a retired engineer from Warner Brothers speak to a group of high school students a few months ago.  When asked what advice he could give a young filmmaker wanting to access the industry, he replied, “choose another industry.” He talked about the difficulty of “making it.”  That the paths to filmmaking, such as apprenticeship, were dead and that it was hopeless for a person to access the film industry.

I disagree. I believe that we are in the most exciting time for new and inexperienced filmmakers in the history of the art.  Creation, Production, Funding and Distribution are all easier than they have ever been.  Post World War II Italians made amazing films despite not having money or equipment.  If you have a smart phone and a computer (or access to them) you are a studio.  If you don’t know what you are doing, don’t worry, you’re in good company.  

Revisiting the birth, childhood and adolescence of cinema is of extreme importance.  I am focusing on 1895-1955.   Every filmmaker will not embrace every movement but the framework of experimentation is in place in the work of the early filmmakers.  There isn’t anything in cinema today that wasn’t conceived in the first 60 years.  More importantly these films provide the framework for the form of cinema.  Fully expressing yourself in cinema is (most likely) more than setting up a camera and pressing record.  There are camera angles, sound track, duration, pacing, acting style and editing to consider. Even if you are interested in an experimental and open form of cinema you will benefit.

1a   :   of, relating to, or dealing with  aesthetics  or the beautiful

2:   appreciative of, responsive to, or  zealous  about the beautiful; also  :  responsive to or appreciative of what is pleasurable to the senses

from Merriam-webster.com

Film Form: Film is a unique art form with its own conventions and aesthetics.  Form includes story, space, cinematography, editing, sound, score and acting.  Film, through its form, has the ability to show us an entire lifetime in 2 hours.  We can visit ancient civilizations or those that haven’t even occurred yet. We can fragment space through editing.  We can show the audience exactly what we want them to see. We can even tell them what to think about what they see.  We can manipulate the senses with the visuals and sound.  

The form and the aesthetics of cinema are losing value.  Not because they are any less valuable but because they are not valued.  Culture that loses touch with art is in danger.  Painting, sculpture, illustration and cinema have been replaced with movies, computer generated images and cartoons.  Harlequin has replaced literature.  Music may be the only expressive art that is still valued.  

Our news streams are littered with stories of terrorism, police brutality, racism, classism, genderism, student protests, caricatures that pass as political leaders, unemployment, poverty, infant mortality, sex trafficking, social liberties but our theaters are filled with a five-year-plan that includes The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Pixels, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Fifty Shades of Grey, etc.  I am not completely criticizing these films.  There is a place for them.  Distraction can be an art. But, if distraction is the only diet of moving picture, the art form and its viewers, will be left incomplete and the art form will die.  That is not to say that there will not always be movies; visual stories that cater to the lowest common denominator will continue to be produced and viewed in theatres.   What is in danger is the pure cinema.  The art form.  The avenue of personal expression.

What do we do now?  Re-engage art.  Learn the language.  The same way we learn Spanish, French, Hebrew or Japanese.  We start with simple words.  We develop a vocabulary.  Then we develop sentences.  Learn grammar.  Write essays.  Then literature.  Cinema has a vocabulary and grammar.  The composition of the film is similar to creating a piece of literature.  

Letters - Frames

Words – Shot

Sentences – Shots with motion or edits

Essays – Edited short form

Literature – Full realized motion pictures

Not to be ignored are the advances in technology.  Flexible celluloid film coated in silver nitrate has been replaced with a chip.  Shooting on film is quaint.  It is an interesting experiment but it is not the current tool of Cinema.  The DSLR, smart phone or GoPro can teach the same lessons at a fraction of the cost.  

What then, do I propose?  To ignore 120 years of history is ignorance and hubris.  To assume that because we have seen Star Wars, Fast and the Furious, The Avengers and maybe even one or two art-films qualifies us to create Cinema is foolish.  We must embrace Porter, The Lumieres, Smith, Guy-Blache, Melies, Eisenstein, Kuleshov, Renoir, Bresson; the list is extensive.  If you haven’t heard of these people, don’t worry, you will.

Is there value in a 120-year-old, 30-second film of people exiting a factory? Yes.  I have made short films and a failed feature.  A few weeks back, inspired by the Lumiere’s  Arrival of a Train at La Ciutat , I set out to make an homage film.  The point was to ignore everything else I knew about film and embrace the moment of films birth.  To capture a moment without the use of zooms, edits, dolly’s, cranes, etc. Filming a bus arriving at a station was not as easy as I thought it would be.  In narrative film this would be a b-roll shot.  In my short film the arrival of the bus was the primary action.  The bus was the star.  A single shot to capture a moment in time.    A moment that is now immortal.

There is not a singular way to express yourself in cinema.  There isn’t one right way to do it.  To learn Cinema, one must make Cinema.  Cinema without the worry of who wants to see it.  Cinema without worry of failure.  Cinema that teaches about the past while driving towards the future.  The purpose of Cinema is expression, experimentation or a bit of both; not wealth, not fame.  If wealth and fame are a byproduct, consider yourself fortunate, but the driving force must be expression and/or experimentation.  Immense pressure is put on filmmakers for success.  This ignores the fact that failure is part of the process.  What is “good?”  Is it a mastery of form?  Content?  Both?  Neither?  

I suggest that we will celebrate the expression and the experimentation without worry of success.  I suggest that we impose the same limitations that the earliest filmmakers had on their film creation.  I suggest that we start with frames, then shots, then cuts and then narratives.  The ultimate goal is personal expression through cinema. Over the span of years we will work our way through the history of film through creating films.  We will share and learn.  

Who wants to watch these films?  I suppose the answer is somewhere between no-one and everyone.  I propose an ongoing, online film festival.  A digital cinematheque. Education through study of the pioneering filmmakers starting with 1895.   A place to showcase the work of filmmakers.  Films inspired by the works studied. Filmmaking challenges based on the works studied.  Shared distribution of films through free digital outlets.  A place of safe discussion.  A place of education and shared ideas.  

Challenge 1 (1894-1896)

The Lumiere Brothers and William K.L. Dickson

The earliest filmmakers had a variety of limitations, the least of which was not that they didn’t even believe in their invention.  The French pioneering Lumiere Brothers, who invented the Cinematograph, and Edison in America didn’t see much of a future for their inventions.  The motion picture was a limited, side-show attraction; a shock to the senses that would soon wear off and be replaced.  

We have the hindsight to know that they were wrong.  For this challenge we are doing our best to put ourselves in their shoes.  

Challenge:  Make a short film (30-60 seconds) with the limitations of the earliest filmmakers and films. Post your film to vimeo, youtube, or tumblr with the hashtag #LumiereChallenge

• No synchronous sound
• No Camera movement
• No Close-ups.  These early films showed the whole body.  

Don’t let the limitations limit your creativity.  Film something meaningful, beautiful, horrible, or funny.  Focus on framing.  Focus on expression.  

Some films are posted below as inspiration.  You can also type, “Lumiere Brothers” or “William K.L. Dickson” on youtube and find tons of films by these early directors.  (remember, we are focusing on 1894-1896 for this challenge) 

Annabelle Butterfly Dance  d. William K.L. Dickson, 1894 (USA)

The Arrival of a Train at la Ciotat  d. The Lumiere Brothers, 1896 (France)

Arroseur et arrose  d. The Lumiere Brothers, 1896 (France)

The Mechanical Butcher d. The Lumiere Brothers, 1895 (France)

Demolition d’un mur  d. The Lumiere Brothers, 1896 (France)

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